Hopes of private lettings creating Olympics gold appear to have failed to get off the starting blocks.

Undeterred, landlords are still piling into agents, hoping for a quick buck and lured by the prospect of premium rents advertised on agents’ websites.

But according to one Foxtons agent in north London: “We physically can’t get out to see all these properties because of the number of inquiries coming through from potential landlords.”

While there are exceptions – Knight Frank is reporting inquiries from companies wanting to short-term rent whole blocks this summer – London agents are reporting more landlords than tenants and a huge number of unlet Olympic properties.

There is also the minor problem that prospective tenants for the Games do not have unlimited budgets.

Unsurprisingly, most seem to want the cheapest possible accommodation – and do not want to pay the six-times normal rent being hyped.

Some of the expensive rentals can be found on Zoopla's special Olympics section. These include a six-bed flat in Knightsbridge for £80,000 a week and a nine-bed apartment in Blackheath, two minutes from where the horse action will be, for £17,500 a week – which must make the local bed and breakfasts look like bargains.